9 Clever & Creative Truck Toolbox Organization Ideas
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Jeff Weishaupt
- Last updated:
If you own a truck toolbox, you know how difficult it is to find the tools present at the very bottom of the box. That’s mainly the problem when your toolbox is decluttered or unorganized.
It’s much easier to organize your truck toolbox than keep living with a mess of tools that takes away hours of productivity every day. But the hard part about organizing is that it feels impossible to know where to start.
In this article, we’ve detailed 10 clever and creative truck toolbox organization ideas for the next time you’re hoping to clean things up.
The Top 9 Truck Toolbox Organization Ideas
1. Pick the Right Toolbox
| Materials: | None |
| Tools: | None |
| Difficulty Level: | Hard |
The first step to achieving an organized toolbox is picking the right one, according to your tools and truck. This will ensure a dedicated space for each tool and that your toolbox fits in your truck suitably.
For example, you may benefit from a pork chop toolbox if you have unused space behind your truck’s wheel wells. Those that want to access their toolbox from both sides of the truck can opt for Lo-Side, cross, and saddle toolboxes.
Other than that, hi-side tool boxes help save bed storage area, while all-purpose tool boxes have enough space to fit all tools. It’s also best to opt for a toolbox with additional storage features like sliding drawers, screwdriver holders, and more.
2. Create Segments
| Materials: | Dividers |
| Tools: | None |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium |
The cross-contamination of tools in one big box makes it so easy to lose your important equipment, making it hard to find just what you need. Plus, it often results in oil and grease on tools that shouldn’t have such contamination.
An easy way to prevent this is by investing in dividers or organizers to section out your large trays and boxes. Not only does this prevent liquids or greases from contaminating your tools, but it also helps you find your desired equipment quicker, as there will be a designated segment for every category of tools.
3. Use Totes
| Materials: | Tote bags |
| Tools: | None |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
If you don’t feel like sectioning your toolbox with dividers, you may opt for the easy alternative: tote bags! Organizing your truck toolbox with the help of canvas or tote bags is as simple as it gets, only taking up a few minutes of your time.
All you need to do is categorize your tools into sections like power, fastening, and hand tools. Then, you can place each category in a different bag, preferably placing big and small tools separately.
Since canvas and tote bags are made from sturdy, long-lasting materials, they’re ideal for storing tools compared to plastic bags or acrylic containers.
4. Add Racks
| Materials: | Clamps, trays |
| Tools: | Screwdriver |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium |
You could also rack up your toolbox as it’s the ideal way to store more tools in a limited space. It allows you to utilize the space above your tools after filling up the base of the toolbox. You need a few clamps and trays, and you’re ready to rack up your truck toolbox, maximizing your tool space.
Fix the clamps inside your toolbox before attaching them to the trays to secure your new racks in place. Since the clamps are easy to remove, you can easily detach the shelves from the toolbox for better access to everything.
5. Carve Out Foam
| Materials: | Foam |
| Tools: | Box cutter, ruler |
| Difficulty Level: | Hard |
Foam is one of the best ways to organize any toolbox. Although the preparation process may be lengthy and tedious, the result will be worth it. By the end of it, you’ll have a designated and carved-out spot for each tool. So, gather your box cutter, ruler, pencil, and some foam, and you’re ready for your DIY project.
First, find a thick and sturdy piece of foam that fits your toolbox perfectly, and place all your tools on it in an organized manner. Then, use a pencil, pen, or chalk to roughly trace the shape of each tool on the foam. Finally, use your box cutter to carefully carve out the shape of the tools from the foam while ensuring that each carving isn’t too deep or too shallow.
Once you’re done, you can place each tool where it belongs and enjoy a dedicated tool holder without paying hundreds of dollars. Remember to use a thicker foam for bigger and heavier tools, as the material will wear over time and cause the tool to fall through and damage other items in your toolbox.
6. Invest in a Magnetized Tool Holder
| Materials: | Magnets, double tape |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Magnetized tool holders are one of the most underappreciated organizers in the industry. They require minimum effort to use, fit anywhere, and hold all your metal tools without taking up extra space in the toolbox.
Of course, magnetized tool holders are undoubtedly expensive. Those on a budget can opt for thin bars of strong magnets instead. Then, attach them to the walls or top of their toolbox with the help of some double tape. Not only does this trick prevent the overflow of your tools during transit, but it also saves space by utilizing unused and underappreciated space in your toolbox.
After sticking the magnets to the inside of your truck toolbox, you can magnetically attach all your metal tools to the bars for easy access. This tip is handy for smaller steel tools such as miniature screwdrivers, wrenches, and keys.
7. Design an Upright Wrench Organizer
| Materials: | 2×4 wood, pencil |
| Tools: | Radial arm saw, wrenches |
| Difficulty Level: | Hard |
Wrenches can be a hassle to organize, especially if you have an entire set of varying sizes. Luckily, upright wrench organizers don’t just neatly gather your wrenches in one place, but they also take up minimum space in your truck toolbox.
You can opt for a ready-made upright wrench organizer to save time, but designing one yourself will save you a lot of money. It’s also most likely that you’ll have all the required materials already in your toolbox. All you need is a radial arm saw, a 2 x 4 piece of wood, your wrenches, and a pencil.
Begin by placing your wood vertically and the wrenches on top of them to trace their thickness, keeping at least an inch between each wrench. Make sure to outline your wrench at an angle instead of laying them flat. Doing so will prevent them from falling out once the upright wrench organizer is complete.
Then, use your radial arm saw to kerf-angled slots into your 2 x 4, reading to keep the inch gap between each slot. Slicing out the kerfs at a downwards angle ensures your wrenches won’t fall out.
Using a stick-on hook, you can cut out a hole at the top of the upright wrench organizer to help hang it anywhere in your toolbox. It’s also efficient to place the organizer in the corner of your toolbox instead of finding a way to hang it.
8. Utilize the Outside
| Materials: | Wooden board, hooks, magnets, plastic cover |
| Tools: | Drill, screwdriver, screws |
| Difficulty Level: | Hard |
The inside of your toolbox can run out of space quickly, especially as an experienced handyperson with a wide array of tools. So, this is the perfect time to start utilizing your toolbox’s exterior, adding even more space to your container without investing in a new toolbox.
This project may be tricky, but the results will be worth it. Begin by finding a thin wooden board the size of your toolbox and attach it to the sides of the container using a drill and some screws. If you don’t want such a permanent solution, you may use some resilient double-sided tape.
Then, attach multiple hooks and magnets to the wooden board. Finally, place your tools on the board by hanging them or sticking them to the magnets, depending on the type of tool.
Make sure to only attach those tools to the exterior of your toolbox that isn’t too small or easy to lose. For example, we’d recommend only hanging your wrenches, hammers, and other similar tools on your wooden board. You can also protect your tools with a removable plastic cover.
9. Buy Plastic Containers
| Materials: | Plastic organizers and containers |
| Tools: | None |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Last but not least, adding small and designated containers to your toolbox is the easiest yet most efficient way to organize your tools for easier access. We wouldn’t recommend making the mistake of choosing glass or metal containers. That’s because the former can be too fragile while the latter is too noisy to contain a set of metal tools.
Instead, you should opt for hard plastic or acrylic containers. Not only are they durable and less noisy, but they also allow you to check the container’s contents without opening the lid.
Conclusion
Looking for the right tool shouldn’t involve hours of asking yourself, “Where did I put it the last time?” With the proper truck toolbox organization systems, you can ensure your handy tools have a designated place, making it easier never to lose them.
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